2. Counterfactual Reasoning Flashcards
(11 cards)
1
Q
What is counterfactual reasoning?
A
- ability to reason about events whilst removing ourselves from current reality
- includes past and future
events
2
Q
When is counterfactual reasoning important?
A
- when something went wrong
- figure out when something went well
- help model complex situations
3
Q
What errors do infants make in terms of reality?
A
- make ‘egocentric’ realist errors
- difficulty separating themselves from their own view of the world
4
Q
What must happen for counterfactual reasoning to take place?
A
- separate ourselves from current reality
- mentally construct an alternative version of the world in which one thing has changed
- track how this change affected the world
5
Q
What age do children learn to separate from reality?
A
18 months
- when they first engage in pretend play
6
Q
How is pretending different to acting in error?
A
- pretence is when we act as though something is the case, while correctly perceiving the current reality
- e.g child knows there is no tea in the teapot
7
Q
What age does evidence for counterfactual thinking emerge?
How can this be assessed?
A
- preschool years (3/4)
- tell child a story and get them to re-imagine it with one thing changed
8
Q
How is counterfactual thinking interrupted?
A
- processing demands
9
Q
What emotions are examples of counterfactual reasoning?
A
- regret and belief
- allow us to not just consider a particular situation, but also how it compares to others
10
Q
At what age do infants learn to understand others emotions?
A
7 years
- could correctly judged that a person would feel if a situation was different
11
Q
Do counterfactual emotions and attributing them to others happen at the same time?
A
- no there is a lag
